Cash-register.



Nu. 676,2l6. Patented June 1.901.

T. H. BLAIR.

CASH REGISTER.

, (Application filed Feb. X9, 900.) Kodak) 7 3 Sheets-Sheet Patented lune 'H, l90l.

.0- MT mm 3% .Dn A 0 m 6 7 6 0 N (Application filed Feb. 19, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.:

UNITED= STATES 1 PATENT OFFICE.

TllOlllASiLgBLAlR,OF NORTHBORO, MASSACHUSETTS.

CASH-REGISTER."

srnorrioamou forming part of Letters PatentvNo. 676,216, dated June 1 1, 1 901.

Application filed February 1 9, 1900. Serial llo. 5,720. (No model.)

To aZZ whmn it may concern:

Be known that I, THOMAS asth a citi-f zen of the United States, residing atNorthboro, in the county of WVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Cash-Register, of which the following is a specification. 1 I

This invention relates to a caslrregister which is controlled and. operated by 'theu se of independent checks. 7 7 The object of this invention is to provide a compact, simple, and efficientcash-register that can be afforded? by all.

To this end thisinvention consists ofthe cash register and ofgthe. combinations of parts therein, as hereinafter described, and more particularlypointed out in the claims at the end of thisspecifica'tion.

' taken on the line 3 3 of l ig.v 6.

i In the accompanying three'sheots of drawings, Figureis a perspective viewof athreeslot cash -register constructed accordingto this invention, showing the manner in which the checks are insertedinto the machine.

Fig. 2' is a similar View illustrating the posi-- tion of thepartswhen'thechecks are moved forward to expose them to view and unlock the cash-drawer. Fig.3 is asectional view Fig. 4. is". a sectional viewtaken on the line 4 4 of Fig.v 6, with the check-carrier moved forward. Fig.5 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. .6, showing the checkreceiver in its retracted position. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are perspective views illustrating differentrelative positions of the check-carrier. Fig. 10 isa fragmentary viewillustrating the action of the springs which release the checks from the check-carrier, and Figs. ll and 12. are fragmentary views illustrating the form 'of 'catch preferably employed for locking the cash-drawer.

The connections which are employed for controlling the operative parts of an ordinary cash-register f rom a keyboard are necessarily I complicated and expensive.

Ono object of this invention is therefore to dispense with the use of a keyboard in acashregister and to provide a cashregister of simple and-efficient construction which is controlled by the use of checks.

.In using a single-slot machine constructed according to this invention a single check will be used for recording each transaction.

Such machines may be used to advantage where there is but small variation in the amounts to be recorded. For example, in barber-shops or similar places the amounts to be recorded are comparatively small and the transactions are usually. limited to multiplesoffive cents. On the other hand, if it should be attempted to employ a single-slot cash-register constructed according tothis in vention'for recordingtransactions of a mercantile businesschecks ofso many different denominations would have to be employed'as to seriously interfere with its successful use.

A further object of this invention is therefore toprovide a check-controlled cash register in which a plurality of checks maybe em ployed for recording asingletransaction.

To this end a cash-register constrnotedam V cording to this invention preferably hasra pluralityofslots for receiving checks representin g different fractions of the same trans -v action. For example, for recording trans+ sent dimes, andchecks inserted into a third slotwill represent cents. Cooperating with the guideways whichreceive the checks is a check-carrierwhich simultaneously moves all the checks from the positionin which theyare inserted into the machineatoposition exposing them:to View. As the checks'aimved forward by the check-carrier a connectionis operated by one of the checks (preferably the I check designating cents) to unlock the cashdrawer. To release the checks from the checks from thecheck-carrier whenthe same is retracted or moved back to its normal poactions in United States currency checks in: serted'into one slot-will represent. dollars, checks'inserted into a second'slot will represition. The checks representing dollars fall into one compartment, the checks representing dimes fall into a second compartment, and the checksrepresenting cents fall into a third compartment, The totalamount (of 7 third column.

sales recorded by the. cash,-register..may be. ascertained whenever desired by opening the cash-register and adding the checks, the checks representing dollars being added in one column, the checks representing dimes provided with a lock for fastening the ma-;

chine, so to prevent the n e tion of h eks orthe openingofi the cash 'drawer, and a special construction 'is also preferablyemployed for preventing an accidental relockin g of the cash-drawer even when comparatively heavily loadd:-

' 2 Referring to the accompanying drawings for a specific description of a cash-register embodying this invention, the cash-register herein illustratedcoinprisesamain casingA.-

secured-ontop of the casingA is a front piece or casting 10, having openings, preferably glazed; for exposing the checks to View when thesamearebrought forward by-the checkcarrien, as hereinafter described.

Q J onitop' or the casing Ais a supplemental cas:

ways 1'3, and 14 forreceiving checks to IQQQlFdIdOHiIIS, dimes, and cents,respectively.

Movablyi mounted inthe casing 11 is a check- 3 carrier, the constructionof which is'I-most I r V I 1 on th lower' side of thechannel or;.cell-receivcleanly illustratedlin Figslr7 to 9, inclusive.

Assligwli in. these figures, the checkrcarrier comprises a plurality} of. longitudinallygrooiqediblock'sor pieces 15;connectedattheir.

ploy

' ingrclipsf17.

' A desired forni ofjconnection maybe em- 6 v for reciprocatin'gfthecheckcarrier.-

. jA-sherein illustrated", an operating-shaftI-2O qisprovided with a pinion 19,]which engages r "witli -arack 18:0n the check-carrier. "Theop-.

ereging -shaft 20,Ia's shown most clearly. in

Eigsn'. 12' and. 2, is, provide'dwith a crank or finaniile 4o,the motion ofwh'ich-is limited by stops41. By turning thehandle 40 the checkcarrierwill-be?movedforward-or-backward, .50 i

asdesired.

i The front part-of the casingllis divided intogseparate' cells or passage-ways to receive blocks 15 ofnthe-eheck-carrier by means rt'iti'onsifll, (showninFig. 6,) while the rear-portion of the casing 11 is left open as Secured vided 'near its, front-end: with check-ref.

chine, soasto becarriedby-theholding-clips 17. Fig. 8 illustrates the position of the parts when the check-carrierhas been moved for-,

ward to expose thechecks to View and Fig.

i 9 illustrates the ieheck-c arriermoved back to its first position, the: checkshaving been re- 1 leased or removedfrom the check-carrier by checks, asillnstrated in Fig. l-O. Y

Above the cash-drawer the main casing A. of the cashrregister is divided into separate compartments or cells. Fo rekampleas shown in Fi'g. 6, theinain casing A is'divided int-o trated as having been insertedinto the ma: .6

the spring detents 22'engaging behind the I I I three compartments 0, d, and E means of Mandi taking out thechecks the total amfinntj recorded. by the. machine' na 'beascertained: by addingthechecks',as before described. 7

j .Tqprovide for-unlo c kling'andautomatically opening the-'cash-drawer, the spring-detent ingthe checks 'record-in'g5cents is replaeed-by a; releasing-lever.jwhich normally? hpldsl-the cash drawer locked,. butiwhich willrelease. e-msh-d wer h a c ec eeer i s nts. -is moved forward; Thisconstruction.iS I Q$t: clearly illustrated inf Fig.1 3.;- -'As-, shown} .in I

ifis h DQSI BY 2 s pi etallv l mounted,as at 24,- so that-its rear-endengages I, a notch 27 in'the cashedrawer; while its upper end extends up. into position to be engaged. by a check-as the same is. moved'forward'hy the-check-carrier. The-position of theleve'rj 23 may be regUlatedbyJ-a stopgscrew 25-, and

the lever is normallyheldin the positionillns; i I 'trated'in'Fig. 3 by-aspring26. A spring28 normally tends tov throw the cash drawer open, so that when a check representing cents is moved forward-to be exposed. to view. by

partitions.3 6, and,a s indicated in Figsgfiiand 4, slots connectthesejcompartments with the v f casing 11, so 'thatwhenthe checks are released; from the check-carrier the: checks recording cents will fallinto the compartment G; the:

checks recording dimeswill fallinto lihflCQlIlr. jpartmentd,-a nd the checks reeordingdollarsi Lwillfall in totheconipartment E; '9

,flhezrear'of' the -cas gt-A is closed. byza ghinged'door 44;which,mayybeprovided with. a look, if desired, 'asin'dicated; by-thedottedi 1 lines in. Fig.4,so' that by opening the door foo the check-carrier. the upper'end of. thelever- 23 willbe depressed to release the cash'drawer,

which will then fly open, as illustrated inEig; 2 .and as shown by dotted lines Fig. 3, When the check has passedover thetop-.o f the lever 23, the lever is restored to itsnorrnal "position by the spring 26, the upper. end of the lever 23then acting asa 'detent orstripper to release the check from the check-carrier; in the samemannerasthe spring-detent-22;

Any desired construction of-bell may be 5 employed for indicating the opening of-fthe: cash drawer. For exainple, as illustrated-in Eig54, a'bell B, having a clapper 30,- 1naybe I secured in the base of the machine, an'dithe w may e provided with an armv carrying a pawl 29 toengage the clapper.

of the bell.

In the machine herein illustrated the cashdrawer opens from the back of the'machiue. If desired, however, the same connections may be used for controlling'a cash-drawer opening from the front of the machine, as indicared by dotted linesin Fig. 4.

When the cash drawer of a inachiueconstructed according to'thisinventionis'heavily laden or is of an unusually heavy. construction or when the machine is operated very rapidly, the spring of the cash-drawer may not have time enough to start the cash-drawer in motion before the lever 23 again moves down to itslocked position. To prevent this from happening, a specialcatch'may be em-' ployed, as' illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12. As shown in these figures, the rear wall of the notch 27 in the cash-drawer is formed by a spring-plate 50, which is firmly held in place by'screws at the bottom, the distance its top can be sprung back being limited by stopscrews at itsupper end. ,The spring-plate 50 is of less strength than the spring of the'cashdrawer, so that the same will be normally bent'back thereby to the position illustrated in Fig. 11. By means ofJthisconstruction when the lever 23 is moved by a check, as in-i dicated in Fig. 12, the spring-plate 50'having substantially no weight to start willimmedi ately move to a position under the end of the lever and will prevent the relockingof [the cash-drawcr, even should the cash-drawer fail to open promptly. In closing the cashdrawer the-cash-drawer will be pushedin a short'distancebeyond its normal position, so that the spring-plate 50 will-engage the lever 23, the parts then being restored to their nor mal positions, as illustrated in Fig. 11, by

the spring of the cash-drawer. j

Toflock the'machine so' as to prevent the openingof the cash-drawer or the insertion ofchecks, any suitable slide or boltmay be employed for holding theoheck-carrier in its forward position. J For example, asfshown in Figs 1, 2, and'6, a slide 42 on top of the casing 11 maybe provided with a leg for engaging behind one of the blocks of the checka carrier, 'as indicated in Fig.8, so that by using a small padlock 43 orotherfastening device, as indicated in Fig.2, the cash-register may be locked to prevent the opening of the cash-drawer'or the insertioniof checks into the machine.

, Numerous changes may be made in building cash-registers according to this invention by those who are skilled in'theart. For eX- ample, by employing ten varieties of checks representing the ordinals from O to 9, inclusive, the three-slot machine herein illustratedcan register any amount from one cent up to ten dollars. Ifa greater capacity is desired, thenumber of slots may be increased,

and'larger amounts may be registered without increasing the variety of checks employed. On the other hand, when a comparatively small varie tyof transactions areto be'recorded a smaller number of slots maybe em the check for each transaction is printed orn umbered byhand or'when it is desired to keep a record of the sequence and exact amouut of various transactions, and such modifications as these are to be regardedas within the scope of this invention as expressed in the claims.

I do not wish, therefore, to be limited to the form of cash-register herein shown and-described; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

'1. In a cash-register, the combination of a check-carrier for moving checks fromthe position in which theyare inserted into the machine to position exposing them to view, and

a connection operated by the checks for un,

locking the cash-drawer, substantially as described. v

' 2. In a cash-register, thecombination of a guideway for receiving checks, a check-carrier having holding-clips for receivingthe checks inserted into the gnideway, means for actuating the check-carrier to move the checks from theposition in which they are. inserted into the machine to position-exposing them to view,1and meansforreleasing the checks from the holding-clips when the checkcarrier is moved back, substantially as described.

.3. In a cash-register, the combination of guideways for receiving checks, a check-carrier comprising a plurality of connected slides or blocks having holding-clips for receiving the checks inserted into the guideways, means for operating the check-carrier to move the checks from the position in which they are in serted into the machine, to position exposing them to view, and means for "releasing the checks from the holding-clips,substantially as described.

4. In a cash-register, the combination of a check-carrier comprising a plurality of 0011- nected longitudinally-grooved blocks having holding-clips for receiving the checks inserted into the machine through difierentguideways,

connections for moving the check-carrier, and

springs which act as detents engaging behind the checks and releasing them from the hold check-carrier for simultaneously-moving a plurality of checks from the position in which they are inserted into the machine to position exposingthem to view, an operating- ,shaft having a crank orhandle, and a pinion secured on the operating-shaft and engaging a rack on the check-carrier, substantially as described.

check-carrier comprising a plurality of connected blocks having holding-clips for receiving one end thereof forming a d etent for holding the checks inserted into the machine through dilferent slots, an operating-shaft having a crank or handle,a pinion secured v p p guideway for receiving checks, a check-car? rier, andmeansfor locking the check-carrier on the operating-shaft and engaging arack on the check-carrier, and springs for engaging behind the checks to release the checks in'to' th'eguideways,si1bstantially as described.

1 13. A'ca'sh-register having a check-receivfrom the holdingclips when the check-car'- rier is moved back, substantially as described.

7. In a cash-register, the combination of a Z? I locking device forprev'en'ting the opening of, the cash-drawer or the insertion of checks into check-carrier, a cash-drawer, and con nections arranged to be operated by a check moving 'with the check-carrier to unlock the cash l; drawer, substantially as described.

8. In a cash-register, the comblnation of a cl1eck-carrier,'a cash-drawer, and a lever having the cash-drawer in its locked or closed position, and having its other end arranged to be engaged by a check moving with the check-carrier,- substantially as described.

9. In a cash-register, the combinationof a check-carrier having holding-clips for receiving the checks inserted into the machine, a cash-d rawer, and a lever having oneend for n inga detentfor holdingthe cash-drawer in its closed or locked position and'having its other end arranged to be engaged and actn ated by acheck moving with the check-car rier, and to then engagebehind the check to release the check from the holding-clips when the check-carrier is moved back,s n bstan'tially as described. i

1 0, In a cash-register, the combinationiof 1a casinghaving a cash-drawer ,mov-ably mounted in thebase thereof, and check compart-' ments or cells above the cash-drawer, a fnont' plate having exposing slits or openings, a

check-carrier, connections for operating the check-carrier tomove the checks from the po- 'sition in whichtheya're inserted into the machine t0 expose them-to'view through the ex: v

, cash-drawer Whenever said lever posing slits oropenings, an L-shaped'lever having one end forminga' detent for holding thecash-drawer in its locked or closed posi v tion,'and having its opposite end arranged] to beengaged and actuated bya check 'rnov- I ing withthe check-carrier, and means for releasing the checks from the check-carrier in position to permit said checks to fall into the separate compartments in the'casing,substan- I tially asdesc-ribed.

' tijally as described,

in position top reven't the insertion of checks vand means for locking'the same in ing guideway and aca s'h-drawer, andja single the machine,. s'ubstantial1y as described.

' 14.- Ina cash-register, the combination of a cash-drawer, a check c'arrier, a lever having I one end forminga detentfor holding the cashdraw-er in its closed or locked position, and f having its other end arranged to be engaged and actuated by acheek moving with the lcheck-carrier, and means for locking the check-carrierin posit-ion to prevent the release of the cash-drawer,'or theinsertion of checks into themachine,1slibstantially as de-' scribed. A 1 a r "1.5. In acash-register, the combination of a Dash-drawer, a spring tending toopen the cashdrawer, and a catch for normally holding the cash-drawer its-locked .or closed position, said catch beingarrangedtoengageaspring plate, said spring-plate being arranged to fly forward to insnre the opening of the cash drawer when the catch is released, substan- '16. In-acash-register, the combination of a icash-dra-wenacheckcarrienla lever having oneen'd formingadetent for holding thex'aash-v .drawer in its closed orjloeked position, and

having its other end arranged .to be engaged by'a check moving with .th'e check-carrier,

and a spring p'la'te ,,co 'iperating'wi-th said ;le,

ver, said spring-plate being arranged to jfl-y' forward so ;.as to insure the opening of the v p is actuated, substantially as described. I p r In testimony whereof I .h'aveher'enn'to set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. r t I v I j THOMAS BLAIR.

-W'-itnesse's: r

LOUIS W. SOUTHGATE, PHILIP W. SOUTHGATE. 

